Paris FC protects Zabi, its 25m “magic” gem

Patrick Zabi, Paris FC’s “magie”, has shown flashes of quality in Ligue 1, but the club insist it won’t rush its biggest bet. According to RMC Sport, the 19-year-old Ivorian is still in a learning phase, and on Sunday night vs Olympique de Marseille he is expected to start on the bench.

The reason is simple: last January Paris FC paid €25 million for him, and the plan is to “take the time” to polish the diamond. In the piece, Ivoire FC president Ettien Daniel Brou says he has “confidence in his kid”, and recalls how Zabi was developed in the Yopougon academy, where they had him from age 12 and always believed it would become something big.

From street football to Ligue 1

RMC Sport also highlights the origin of his nickname. A close contact explains that Zabi used to perform street-football moves that others didn’t understand, in the fiery local “petits poteaux” matches—where his creativity earned him the moniker “la magie”.

In the early league weeks, his minutes were scarce: the article notes he only played 27 minutes across the first two matchdays (at Troyes and vs Nice). Still, last weekend vs Nice he looked much more at ease: body feints, sudden acceleration and, crucially, an assist for Vincent Marchetti—despite missing a one-on-one with Nice goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf.

Rosenior: patience and protection

Coach Liam Rosenior is very clear about the approach. As quoted by RMC Sport, he calls Zabi “a wonderful young player” and says he enjoys working with him since pre-season, but stresses his age and the need to protect him. “Zabi can be a special player in the future, but we must take our time,” he says, pointing to young talents around him like Rudy (Matondo) and Nhoa (Sangui).

Maxime Lopez also comments on the hype around Zabi, confirming the squad followed his arrival in January and that his potential is exceptional, even if he still has to mature. With Ligue 1 under financial pressure, Paris FC is betting on the luxury of letting a €25m player grow calmly—though the article suggests it won’t be easy to keep him under wraps for long.